1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component, and more particularly, to a chip-type electronic component mounted on a circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a related art electronic component, for example, a chip-type monolithic ceramic capacitor is described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 62-135427. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chip-type monolithic ceramic capacitor (hereinafter referred to simply as the “monolithic ceramic capacitor”) 500 described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 62-135427. In FIG. 6, a laminating direction is defined as a y-axis direction. When looking at the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 in a plan view from the y-axis direction, a direction in which a short side of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 extends is defined as a z-axis direction, and a direction in which a long side of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 extends is defined as an x-axis direction.
The monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a laminate 502, outer electrodes 504a and 504b, and a capacitor C. The laminate 502 is formed by laminating a plurality of dielectric layers, each having a substantially rectangular shape, in the y-axis direction. The outer electrode 504a has a substantially L-shape and is arranged to extend over respective portions of a bottom surface of the laminate 502, which is positioned on the negative side in the z-axis direction, and an end surface of the laminate 502, which is positioned on the negative side in the x-axis direction. The outer electrode 504b has a substantially L-shape and is arranged to extend over respective portions of the bottom surface of the laminate 502, which is positioned on the negative side in the z-axis direction, and an end surface of the laminate 502, which is positioned on the positive side in the x-axis direction. The capacitor C is incorporated in the laminate 502 and is connected between the outer electrodes 504a and 504b. The monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 is mounted on a circuit board with the outer electrodes 504a and 504b fixed respectively to lands 510a and 510b by soldering.
However, in the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 62-135427, it is difficult to not only prevent inclination of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 relative to the circuit board when the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 is mounted, but also to prevent formation of a crack in the solder during use.
In more detail, in the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500, solder coated on the lands 510a and 510b extends upwards along respective portions of the outer electrodes 504a and 504b, which portions are disposed on the end surfaces of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500. Upwards extending portions of the solder are called “fillets”. The fillets pull the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 towards the negative side in the z-axis direction due to surface tension, thereby pressing the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 against the circuit board. Therefore, the higher the respective portions of the outer electrodes 504a and 504b in the z-axis direction, which portions are disposed on the end surfaces of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500, the higher are the fillets in the z-direction and the larger are forces acting from the fillets upon the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500. Thus, the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 is pressed against the circuit board by stronger forces. As a result, when the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 is mounted, inclination of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 relative to the circuit board is prevented even when impacts are exerted on the circuit board.
However, when the height of each fillet in the z-axis direction increases, stress caused in the solder due to changes in temperature also increase. As a result, there is a risk that a crack may occur in the fillet during use. Thus, as described above, it is difficult to keep preventing inclination of the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 relative to the circuit board when the monolithic ceramic capacitor 500 is mounted while preventing formation of the crack in the solder during use.